


Don't Go

by heavenlyrare



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura and Lance are Siblings, Altean lance, Based on a Tumblr Post, Crying, Fluff and Angst, Galra Keith (Voltron), Galra Shiro (Voltron), I made up my own alien species woo, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Original Species, War, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-09 09:19:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10408932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heavenlyrare/pseuds/heavenlyrare
Summary: As Lance continued to cry with no sign of stopping any time soon, Shiro’s words replayed within his head.“I’m coming back because you’re going to be there waiting for me. You’re going to be there to shower me with all the love that you can muster, and that’s going to be my motivation. You’re going to be my motivation,”he said.“I promise that I’ll come back,”he said.Lance should have known better.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who is ~~physically~~ alive and well.
> 
> This is a (late) birthday gift for my friend, Bella, who really enjoys angst and has been encouraging me to write it since we met.
> 
> I hope that you, Bella, and everyone else enjoys it!
> 
> [I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender. Any mistakes founded belong to me.]

“Is he here?”

“Yes, sir. He’s been here for a while, pacing back and forth in this room.”

A sigh sounded. “That’s a given. His nerves are severely wracked.” A pause. “Thank you for keeping guard. I’ll take it from here.” There was a salute given before the Galra soldier turned sharply on his heel and began to make his way down the hall, disappearing around the corner. With him out of sight, a hand was pressed against the pad next to the metal door. The pad scanned it before glowing purple, unlocking the door to allow access inside. A soft _click_ was sounded before the sound of the door sliding open filled its visitor’s ears. Pacing footsteps came to a halt as the one inside looked upon who else was entering.

_“Takashi!”_

Takashi “Shiro” Shirogane, Galra Commander and the Galra’s best soldier, could barely get two steps inside of the room before he was being bombarded by the one who called his name. A low grunt escaped his lips as he staggered backwards, barely catching himself from tripping and falling over. With his balance regained, he let his arms take their familiar place around a lithe waist, squeezing gently as he buried his nose into soft, snow white hair. “Lance,” mumbled the man against the hair, gasping softly as he was squeezed with a strength he was certain Lance forgot about at times.

“Lance,” wheezed Shiro. “Lance, you have to loosen your arms.”

“Oh, sorry!” squeaked Lance, swift to let his arms just rest against Shiro, who exhaled loudly in relief. A dust of pink decorated bronze cheeks as Lance was silent, embarrassed about the whole ordeal. He chewed on his bottom lip, patiently waiting for Shiro to regain his normal breathing pattern. You couldn’t blame Lance, though. The man had been left to pace and worry for who knows how long until Shiro finally appeared. So you can imagine that he was quite relieved to see the Commander when he finally did. Enough to forget that he was actually _scary_ strong, despite his slender frame. It was something that both Allura and he forgot often.

“It’s alright. I know you’re just worried,” reassured Shiro after controlling his breathing. His casual words shook Lance from whatever flustered spell he was under as his eyes went from embarrassed to stern, hardening. A step back was taken, putting distance between the two and confusing Shiro. The sudden change in emotion wasn’t something that was out of the blue because Lance was an emotional being, but that didn’t make Shiro worry any less. “What’s the matter?”

“Why are you doing this?” questioned Lance in a clipped tone, but Shiro was able to locate the little desperation lacing his words as well. _I knew this was coming._ Frowning softly, Shiro let his arms fall from Lance’s waist to reach for his own arms, bringing them down in front of him as Shiro gently held his hands. His thumbs traced soothing circles into the back of them, golden yellow eyes staring intently at them. Another moment of silence passed, yet neither party seemed to be uncomfortable in it. Slowly, Shiro let his gaze lift from Lance’s soft hands and nimble fingers to bore into the abnormally bright blue eyes with dots of magenta in the irises. Despite Lance’s harsh tone, there was so much _love_ and _worry_ swimming within his eyes, conveying his true emotions like Shiro couldn’t already tell. He remembered when they first locked eyes. There was hatred and disgust within them, and they were hard like stones. They’ve come a long way.

“You know why I’m doing this, Lance,” responded Shiro in a low, calm tone.

“But you don’t _have_ to! You can stay here while the other soldiers go out,” explained Lance in a slight rush; his voice raising in pitch along with desperation. Shiro chuckled softly as he shook his head, giving Lance’s hands a gentle squeeze.

“They need someone to lead them, Lance. And that’s my job as their Commander,” countered Shiro, watching as Lance chewed his bottom lip in thought. He could see the gears turning inside of the Altean’s head. Ever since Shiro had offered the Galra’s aid for the three remaining Alteans, Lance had been trying his best to get Shiro to back out.

“W-What about Keith?! Keith can lead them, right?” questioned Lance. “You trust him enough for that. And he’s your best soldier. Your second in command practically.”

Shiro was silent, pretending to mull over the idea. Lance was right. Keith was his best soldier, and he trusted the Galra with his life. But that didn’t mean he was cut for leadership. As good of a soldier as Keith was, he had a tendency to act before he thought things through. His impulsiveness could cause many lives, and that’s something that Shiro wanted to avoid if possible. “Keith isn’t quite fit for leadership. He’d need training before he can command a group that’s going into war.” The word ‘war’ caused Lance to flinch and frown deeply. It made him that more desperate and determined to pull Shiro out of it.

“Why did you even offer in the first place, Shiro? The Nuprovians were after us, not you. I’m sure that we could have fended for ourselves,” reasoned Lance. This wasn’t even the Galra’s war to fight. While exploring the planet Nuprovia, the Alteans were under the assumption it was deserted and had taken a sample from it so that they could learn more about it. Apparently, the sample was something sacred to the planet’s people, who had contacted them and told them just as much. Allura had tried to apologize and return the sample, but the Nuprovians weren’t a forgiving species. The damage was already done in their eyes.

“Now what kind of lover would I be if I left you to fight this war alone?”

“A safe one!” cried Lance. “One that doesn’t have his partner worrying himself sick!”

“Hey,” started Shiro softly, dropping Lance’s hands as he closed the distance between them by stepping into the Altean’s personal space. His hands reached for Lance’s face, cupping his cheeks and tilting his head back. His thumbs mindlessly brushed against the marks underneath Lance’s watery eyes, caressing them. “You’re worrying too much. I’m going to make it back, and I’m coming back with news of us winning. Okay?”

“How can you be so sure?” questioned Lance; his voice cracking on the last word as the tears finally rolled down his cheeks, leaving wet trails in their wake. As Shiro wiped away his tear tracks, more spilled to renew them until Lance was silently crying waterfalls, hiccuping every now and then. Shiro thought it best to leave it be and go back to caressing his marks, providing him with some comfort. “What if you _don’t_ come back, Shiro? What am I supposed to do?”

“You don’t have to think about that because I _am_ coming back,” reassured Shiro in a firmer tone, readjusting his grip on Lance’s face. “I’m coming back because you’re going to be there waiting for me. You’re going to be there to shower me with all the love that you can muster, and that’s going to be my motivation. _You’re going to be my motivation_ ,” rambled Shiro as he continued to stare into Lance’s eyes determinedly. He needed Lance to see just how sure he was, and how strong he was being. If he even let a _sliver_ of doubt seep through his calm mask, Lance was going to break down for sure. “That’s why I’m so sure.”

More tears fell as Lance said, “I wish you didn’t have to go at all.” He raised his hands to rest them against Shiro’s, holding them in place as he leaned into the Galra’s touch. This could very well be the last time he’d ever feel Shiro’s hands against his skin again, and that thought just brought a stream of new tears to his eyes.

“I know, but it’s for you and your family. You know I’d do anything for you guys,” confessed Shiro. There was a moment of silence between them before Shiro opened his mouth again. “If you cry anymore, you’re going to make me cry, you know. I can’t be intimidating if I’m going into war crying,” joked the Commander. He got the result that he wanted: Lance managed a watery, breathy laugh and a wet smile, letting go of Shiro’s hands to wipe away at his eyes. Shiro watched with a soft smile of his own, happy to lighten up the mood just a little.

Lance slowly stopping wiping his eyes and returned his gaze to Shiro. Even with his slightly red, puffy eyes, Shiro still thought he was the most beautiful creature in the galaxy. They stared at one another before they both began to lean towards each other, shortening the distance between them. Gently, their lips meshed together as their eyes fluttered closed. The kiss was slow and endearing and passionate with undertones of the distress that they both felt low in their guts.They kissed like it would be their very last and neither wanted to pull away, but their lungs screamed for air, causing them to break apart. Breathing heavily, Lance licked his lips before speaking.

“Promise me that you’ll come back, okay? Even when you’re bleeding out and can barely take a step, I want you to remember what you said. That I’m your motivation,” demanded Lance. His breath fanned out against Shiro’s mouth with every word. Shiro nodded, but Lance didn’t want that. “I want to _hear_ you say it, Takashi.”

“I promise that I’ll come back.”

“I’m going to be holding you to that,” threatened Lance as his eyes scanned Shiro’s face, drinking in every detail. From his odd white strip to his slightly pink lips, Lance memorized it all. He didn’t know when he’d be able to see him again after all. Or if this would be the last time. Closing the distance between their mouths once more, Lance pressed a chaste kiss upon Shiro’s lips, pulling back so that they were only a few centimeters apart.

“I love you,” whispered Lance, practically against his lips.

“I love you, too,” was whispered back.

* * *

_Those were the last words either of them said to one another._

* * *

 

Lance rushed to the hallway that one stood when entering the Castle of Lions. He was practically sprinting down the stairs, skipping the very last step by jumping over it. His breathing was labored as he stopped in front of Keith, who looked sullen as he stood there, but that was something that Lance overlooked. Blue eyes flickered here and there. The Altean even craned his neck to see behind Keith, frowning when he saw nothing but an empty hallway. Throughout his entire ordeal, Keith didn’t say a word.

“What’s going on? Where’s Shiro?” questioned Lance with a curious tone as he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Was he hiding and just waiting to jump out and surprise him? The thought brought a giddy smile to Lance’s face. He always liked surprises.

“I came here with news in regards to the war,” explained Keith, seeming to avoid eye contact with Lance, which confused the Altean even more. But he didn’t comment on it. “We were able to successfully defeat the Nuprovians—”

“That’s good!” interrupted Lance cheerfully.

“—but not without a few sacrifices of our own,” finished Keith in a dejected tone. Silence enveloped them as Lance registered his words. Of course the Galra lost some of their own. Lance has never heard of a war where one side comes out completely unscathed. It was impossible. As the silence dragged on, the Altean began to slowly put the pieces together. Why Keith was so gloomy; why he wouldn’t look Lance in the eye; _why he was there in the first place_. A sharp gasp left Lance’s lips as his vision began to blur. Keith was slowly become harder and harder to clearly see. Just a blob of purple, black, and yellow.

Upon his gasp, Keith finally bore his gaze into Lance. He saw the welling of tears in the Altean’s eyes and barely held himself back from doing the exact same, joining Lance in his mourning. Keith had done his crying, though, and needed to be strong for Lance while he did his own. Letting out a shaky breath, he gathered the courage to relay the message that Shiro told him with his dying breath. It was the sole reason that he found himself in the Castle of Lions at the first place.

“Shiro wanted me to tell you,” began Keith, pausing to swipe his tongue over his lips, “that he’s sorry… for not being able to keep his promise.” And while Keith didn’t know the context behind the message, he knew that it must’ve been significant with the way Lance finally let the tears rolled down his face. As soon as they fell, there was no stopping them. Lance _cried_ , taking hiccuping breaths in between just so he could translate that oxygen into even more crying. It was hard to watch the Altean’s face become blotchy and red, soaked with tears, without breaking out into his own tears.

“Lance?” a voice called from the top of the stairs. Keith turned his gaze to rest upon Allura, taking in her worried expression. “Lance, are you alright? Keith?”

“He’s gone, Allura,” stated Keith. That was the only explanation that Allura needed before she was rushing down the stairs and towards her brother, gathering him up in her arms. She rubbed large, soothing circles on his back as he cried into her chest, wetting her clothes but she could care less about that. Her only mission was to comfort Lance and be by his side. Running a hand through his snow white hair, identical to her own, she could only repeat a mantra of _“It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay.”_

It was like losing their father all over again, yet perhaps ten times more painful for Lance than it was for her.

As Lance continued to cry with no sign of stopping any time soon, Shiro’s words replayed within his head. _“I’m coming back because you’re going to be there waiting for me. You’re going to be there to shower me with all the love that you can muster, and that’s going to be my motivation. You’re going to be my motivation,”_ he said. _“I promise that I’ll come back,”_ he said.

Lance should have known better.

**Author's Note:**

> hmu
> 
> tumblr


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